Passion
by drakontion
Summary: The Reaper threat is an ever present menace. The Council, however, keep denying it. Kaidan confronts Councilor Anderson about it. Response to the latest prompt in the KAAS group on the BSN.


Another fic in response to the latest prompt at the KAAS forum on BSN.

Prompt:  
An argument, between two or more persons, set anywhere with the exception below.

Limit:  
Kaidan must be one of the participants or the argument must be about Kaidan. THE ARGUMENT CANNOT BE ON; CANNOT BE ABOUT; CANNOT MENTION IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM HORIZON_  
_

* * *

.

"_Never underestimate the power of passion.__"_

Eve Sawyer

.

.

.

A low chime preceded a feminine voice over the comm system. "Councilor?"

"Yes, Saheli?"

"Commander Alenko is here and would like to speak with you."

Anderson thought momentarily, face creasing in a frown, then tapped the comm system. "Send him in, Saheli."

He smoothed his face as the door swooshed open and the commander strode into the room, projecting determination with every inch. Anderson gestured at a seat and he sat stiffly, on edge.

"What can I do for you, Commander?"

Kaidan frowned. "I've come to request approval to be posted to join the crew of the Normandy as an Alliance representative."

Anderson sat back, face impassive. "You want to join them?"

Kaidan nodded once.

"Why?"

"Because you need someone Alliance on that ship. Someone you can trust. Someone who is already familiar with some of the crew and has a... rapport with its commanding officer. Someone who understands what has been and will be required in order to face the Reaper threat."

"Rapport, you say." Kaidan nodded again, without even the grace to flush. Anderson had to admire him for that, at least. "And what makes you think that's what we need? Shepard... the Normandy... is a rogue agent. She's as likely to chase after batarian pirates as she is to combat the Reapers. What makes you think that's something worth supporting?"

Frown deepening, Kaidan leaned forward, the better to impress his urgency on the Councilor. "Councilor, that is precisely the reason why you want me there. You want a stabilizing influence on Shepard. That's me. You want input into her actions, I can do that. You want to make sure she's working in the right direction, working with us and not against us. I will do that for you."

Anderson nodded slowly, maintaining eye contact. "Are you sure that's the only reason, Commander?"

Now Kaidan flushed. "Well... no. But it's the most important one."

Anderson held up a hand and worked hard at projecting nonchalance. "I don't care how you rationalize it to yourself, Alenko. The answer is no."

Kaidan's voice was dangerously quiet. "No?"

"You heard me, Commander. You made your request, and I denied it."

"May I at least know why?"

Anderson sighed. "Because I don't trust you on that ship, with Shepard. Because I know very well what the two of you got up to the last time you were together on a ship, regulations be damned. Because she is not a stabilizing influence on _you_. And because-" he eyed Kaidan, who was visibly trying to hold in his temper "-because I am your superior officer, and I said so."

Kaidan spoke through clenched teeth. "With all due respect, sir, I am not a child, and that is hardly a valid reason."

"It is all the reason it has to be, Alenko."

His fists bunched at his sides but he remained seated, controlled. "That is hardly fair. Either on Shepard or on me. We worked hard, together, to beat Sovereign and Saren and their geth. With limited backing and continued deniable plausibility from the then Council, I might add. And still we did it. _Shepard_ did it. And now she needs more help than ever and you continue to follow the old Council's path of stonewalling her!"

Anderson sighed. "You know we can't publicly acknowledge Shepard's claims of the Reaper threat, Alenko. We have enough trouble as it is cleaning up her messes behind her. All out gunfights across half the Terminus systems and even here in Citadel space, mercenary wars, destruction of valuable infrastructure and resources... Shepard's a PR nightmare and we are, quite frankly, spending far too much time and money on covering up her little indiscretions."

With a snarl Kaidan leapt to his feet, the chair clattering backwards behind him, as he gestured passionately. "Shepard is out there risking her ass and that of her crew to hold back the Reapers and all you can do is sit here and talk about PR and costs?"

"It's not only PR and costs, Kaidan. It's also the risk of panic if her claims got out into the public space. We can't risk that. The toll on lives and commerciality would be incalculable."

Kaidan sneered. "And how much more incalculable would another Reaper attack on the Citadel be? We're _still_ rebuilding after four years. Imagine the toll if the Reapers attacked one of the colonies. Bekenstein, perhaps. Five and a half million people. Or what about Illium. There's over 84 million people there. Or, god forbid, Earth. Eleven billion. _Billion_, Councilor. That's what you're risking with your PR rescuing and cost cutting."

He paused, struck by the thought, and studied Anderson's face intently for a moment. When he resumed, his voice was hushed. "My god. That's what you're doing, isn't it? You're waiting for a direct threat. You're waiting for Shepard to flush something out and start fighting it, aren't you? You're waiting for her to fall on the line so you can send out the almighty Alliance fleet and save the day, again."

"You're out of line, Alenko."

"I don't particularly give a damn, Councilor," Kaidan retorted. He slammed his fist down on the desk. "You might be perfectly happy to sacrifice her but I won't have it. I won't just stand by and watch you damn Shepard to hell just so you can get some PR win out of it."

Anderson looked up at Kaidan's face, flushed with anger, and spoke quietly. "I suggest you sit down, Commander, and remember to whom you're speaking."

Their eyes locked, Anderson's flatly implacable while Kaidan's flared with anger and resentment.

They remained frozen, staring, for what seemed an eternity, before Kaidan backed down. He remained standing and crossed his arms. "Well if you won't allow a posting to the Normandy I'd like to request some leave. By my calculations I have six months of unused rec leave. I'd like to take it. Sir."

Anderson snorted. "So you can just go and join the Normandy anyway? No, Commander. Request denied."

Kaidan stared at him, eyes furious. "I don't get it, Councilor. Shepard's the best we have. She stopped a Reaper _on foot_, for god's sake. She wiped out the Collectors. She's a Spectre. Why don't you trust her?"

Anderson shrugged. "It's not a matter of trust, Commander. Shepard's a liability. A loose cannon."

Kaidan surged forward and hissed dangerously at Anderson. "How can you possibly say that after all she's sacrificed?"

"When will you learn, Alenko, that sometimes you have to sacrifice in order to save?"

Kaidan stared at him, appalled. "You'd seriously sacrifice Shepard?"

Anderson nodded.

"I don't believe you. She was your protégé. You were her mentor. She looked up to you, _trusted_ you. You believed her while we were fighting Saren. What changed?"

Anderson gestured expansively, at the bland sterile room, at the artificial sunlight beyond. "This changed. I have bigger responsibilities now. I can't be distracted by one rogue Spectre and her wild claims of doom and destruction from beyond the stars."

"Rogue Spectre..." murmured Kaidan. "Is that what you really think? Really?" He stared at Anderson searchingly, trying to pierce his impassive mask, then straightened.

"In that case, I have only one thing left to say." He reached up and grabbed his rank and insignia, ripping them from his uniform in one fierce movement, and threw them onto the desk in front of Anderson. "I quit. Consider this my effective resignation from the Alliance. You'll have my written resignation as soon as I can get to a terminal."

"Think about what you're doing, Commander..."

Kaidan gestured savagely. "Alenko. I am no longer a Commander. And I have considered what I'm doing very carefully indeed."

He leaned over Anderson's desk menacingly, voice a low growl. "I will not abandon Shepard, not after everything she's been through, everything _we've_ been through. She needs me. And we need her. And I will support her with everything I've got."

He straightened and strode to the door, pausing as it swooshed open. "And because I love her, and I'll be damned if I abandon her again."

Anderson sighed heavily as the doors closed on Kaidan's back and wiped his hand over his face, unsurprised to see it shaking. He closed his eyes and slumped forwards in his seat, resting his head in his hands.

"Good boy, Kaidan. Good boy."


End file.
